United States national water polo team

United States national water polo team
Country	United States
Association	USA Water Polo
Confederation	UANA
Head coach	Dejan Udovičić
Asst coach	Alex Rodriguez, Dante Dettamanti
Captain	Ben Hallock
Fifa code	USA
Olympic apps	18
Olympic first	1904
Olympic best	Silver: 1984, 2008
World champ apps	20
World champ first	1973
World champ best	Gold: 2024
Fina code	USA

Contents

History
Competitive record
Team selection and management
Notable players
Honors and achievements
See also

United States national water polo team represents the United States in international water polo competitions for men. Governed by USA Water Polo, the national federation, the team competes in major tournaments including the Olympic Games, the World Aquatics Championships, and the FINA Water Polo World Cup. Historically a strong contender, the team has earned multiple Olympic silver medals and, most recently, captured its first-ever world championship title in 2024.

History

The team's history dates to its first Olympic appearance at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, where it won a silver medal in a demonstration event. Early success was sporadic, but the program grew significantly under the influence of coaches like Monte Nitzkowski and through the development of collegiate water polo in California. A major breakthrough came at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where the team, featuring stars like Terry Schroeder and Jody Campbell, won a silver medal, losing the final to Yugoslavia. The next pinnacle was another silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, under coach Terry Schroeder, in a classic final against Hungary. The program's historic zenith was achieved at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, where, led by coach Dejan Udovičić and captain Ben Hallock, it defeated Hungary to claim its first world championship.

Competitive record

The team has participated in 18 editions of the Olympic Games, with its best finishes being silver medals in 1984 and 2008. At the World Aquatics Championships, after several fourth-place finishes and a bronze in 1991, it won the gold medal at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. In regional competitions, it has been a dominant force in the Pan American Games, winning gold medals consistently, including at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. The team has also competed in the FINA Water Polo World League, winning the Super Final in 2008 and 2016. Other notable participations include the World Cup and the Summer Universiade.

Team selection and management

Player selection is overseen by the head coach and USA Water Polo, drawing primarily from the NCAA water polo system, with powerhouse programs like UCLA, the University of Southern California (USC), Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley being key talent pipelines. The current head coach is Serbian tactician Dejan Udovičić, appointed in 2017, with assistants including Alex Rodriguez and veteran coach Dante Dettamanti. The team's training is centralized, often at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and involves extensive international tours and training camps against teams like Serbia, Croatia, and Italy.

Notable players

Legendary figures include two-time Olympic captain and center forward Terry Schroeder, a two-time silver medalist and later head coach. Attacker Jody Campbell was a key member of the 1984 and 1988 Olympic teams. More recent stalwarts include two-time Olympic silver medalist and prolific scorer Tony Azevedo, considered one of the greatest American players, and goalkeeper Merrill Moses, a mainstay for over a decade. Current stars feature captain and center Ben Hallock, the 2024 World Aquatics Championships MVP, defender Alex Bowen, and attacker Johnny Hooper. Other notable athletes are Jesse Smith, Layne Beaubien, and Tim Hutten.

Honors and achievements

* Olympic Games: Silver medal (1984, 2008) * World Aquatics Championships: Gold medal (2024); Bronze medal (1991) * Pan American Games: Gold medal (1983, 1987, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019) * FINA Water Polo World League: Champions (2008, 2016) * Summer Universiade: Gold medal (1991)